Tape roll guide



fiiil"""" ATTORNEY;

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This invention relates to a tape roll guide and more particularly to guide means for positioning a supply roll of web or tape in an apparatus for dispensing or drawing the web or tape from the roll.

In a dispensing apparatus for dispensing web or tape from a supply roll, it is desirable to provide means for properly positioning the supply roll with relation to the feeding or dispensing mechanism. This is particularly true where the device is adapted to receive and dispense webs or tapes of different widths and in such case the well or chamber within which the supply roll is placed must be of suflicien-t width to accommodate the greatest width of web to be dispensed. Therefore, when webs of less width are employed, it is desirable to provide a movable partition or guide to hold the supply roll in place during the dispensing operation.

While in the present application the illustrated apparatus is that for dispensing a web carrying labels or the like, it will be understood that the invention may be employed with webs or tapes for other purposes or uses such, for example, as gummed tapes or adhesive or pressure-sensitive tapes.

In the dispensing apparatus illustrated, means are provided for withdrawing the web from a supply roll, this withdrawing or feeding means being located at the forward portion of the supporting frame. Adjacent the rear portion of the frame is an open web or chamber in which the supply roll of the web rests by gravity, As this chamber is of greater width, in many instances, than that of the supply roll, a movable guide or partition member is provided which may be readily adjusted axially or widthwise of the roll so as to position the latter between atent the wall of the apparatus and the guide or partition mernber. As illustrated, this guide member is a relatively thin plate which is held in adjusted position by spring means, in this instance the serrated edge of a spring plate provided as a guide for the web itself. The guide member may be pivotally supported upon a rod or the like extending transversely of the frame adjacent the rear end thereof so that it may swing upwardly to be readily released from the spring-retaining means and, after being moved laterally to the desired position, will drop down by gravity between the serrated teeth of the spring retainer so as to be automatically retained in the desired position.

One object of the present invention is to provide new and improved guiding means for a roll of web or tape which may be adjusted to properly position a supply roll of web or tape in the dispensing apparatus with which it is used.

A further object of the invention is to provide guide means for a supply roll of web or tape pivotally mounted in the frame of the apparatus to swing into and out of engagement with a spring-retaining member so that this guide member may be adjusted to and retained in any desired position widthwise of the frame of the dispenning apparatus.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a dispensing apparatus showning my improved tape roll guide means;

3,025,618 Patented Mar. 13, 1962 FIG. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 of the rear portion of the apparatus showing a structure of somewhat modified form; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

To illustrate one embodiment of the invention 1 have shown in the drawings a tape or web dispensing apparatus comprising a frame which, as illustrated, consists of a base member 10 and upstanding side walls 11 and 12.

In the rear portion of the frame is a chamber 13 open at its upper end in which may be placed a supply roll 14 of web or tape to be dispensed. This supply roll rests freely on the bottom of the frame but may be confined longitudinally thereof by transversely extending rods 15 and 16.

While the particular type of web which is to be dispensed or the particular means for dispensing it is not of importance in the present invention, the supply roll 14 is illustrated as comprising a carrier web 17 on which are provided detachable labels 18. The web carrying these labels is drawn forwardly over a relatively thin sheet metal plate member having a horizontal portion or table 19 and a rearwardly inclined portion 20.

As illustrated, the means for drawing the web from the supply roll comprises a spool or reel 21 secured to a shaft 22 rotatably carried in a pair of arms 23 secured to the frame. Secured to the shaft 22 is a gear 24 which meshes with a driving gear 25 rotatably mounted on the side wall 12 of the frame, the axis of this gear being shown at 2 6. The gear 26 may be rotated forwardly or in a clockwise direction in a step-by-step manner by the manually operable lever 27 which asusual has a one-way connection with the gear.

From the above construction it will be seen that when the take-up reel or drum 21 is rotated, the web 17 will be wound about this drum and drawn from the supply roll over the horizontal portion 19' of the guide member. A presser plate 28 may be provided to exert a certain amount of pressure on the web as is usual. It will be understood that this web-feeding means is shown only as illustrative of an operative mechanism for dispensing or drawing the web from the supply roll but it will be understood that any other desired form of feeding or dispensing mechanism may be employed.

It will be noted particularly from FIG. 1 that the chamber 13 is of greater width than that of the supply roll 14. The latter is located adjacent the wall 12 of the frame and may be held in proper position by a relatively thin plate or guide member 30. This member may be provided with a hollow hub 31 snugly and slidably receiving the transversely extending rod 15, the length of this hub being sufiicient to hold the guide member 30 which is secured to the hub in a vertical plane.

It is necessary to hold the guide or partition member 30 in any adjusted position along the rod 15 and to this end the lower end of the relatively thin flexible member 20 is turned rearwardly, as shown at 32, and the free edge of the member 3-2 is serrated, as shown at 35 in FIG. 1. The forward edge 36 of the guide member 30 is received in the serrations 35 (FIG. 2) and the length of the member 30 is such as to flex or spring the member 20 forwardly to a slight extent so that the edge 36 will be tightly gripped and held against play. The member 30 may be cut back, as shown at 37, in order that it may drop downwardly against the bottom of the chamber 13 without engaging the guide rod 16.

With the above construction it will be seen that, when it is desired to adjust the guide member 30 to a new position, it is only necessary to swing this member upwardly about the rod 15, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2. It can then be adjusted slidably along the rod 15, the hub or collar 3-1 permitting this adjustment, and, when moved to the proper position according to the width of the supply roll, it may be permitted to drop downwardly to engage the edge 36 in the serrations 35, in which position it will be automatically held by spring pressure of the plate 20* without additional securing means.

Also it will be obvious that, while the side 12 of the frame is illustrated as being employed to position the roll at one side, a second guide member 30 may be provided at this side of the supply roll, if desired, so that the latter may be positioned centrally of the frame.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing a slightly modified form of my invention is illustrated. As this form of the invention differs only in the manner of supporting the rear edge of the guide member, the other elements are given the same reference characters as in the form of my invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 The web 17 will be drawn from the supply roll 14 as before and the latter is supported in the Well 13 of the frame of the apparatus as previously described. Also the resilient plate member 20 is provided with a rearwardly turned portion 32 having a serrated edge to receive the forward edge 3-6 of the guide member 30.

In this form of the invention, however, the positioning hub or collar 31 is omitted and the guide member 30 merely provided with an opening 40 slidably received on the transversely extending rod Thus, while the guide member is slidably adjustable along the rod 15, it may not be rigidly held in a vertical plane, and it is desirable to provide additional means for this purpose. For performing this function a rod 41 is secured in the lower portion of the frame, which rod, as shown in FIG. 4, is provided with spaced annular ribs 42. leaving depressions therebetiween. The lower corner of the guide member 30* is cut away or recessed, as shown at 46, so that the edge of this recess may be received in the annular recesses or depressions between the ribs 42. Thus the member 30 will be held against sliding movement at its lower edge, and this engagement together with the mounting of this member on the rod 15 will hold it in a vertical plane.

It will be understood that the forward edge 36 is held in adjusted position by spring pressure of the plate as before but may be readily released for adjustment by being swung upwardly about the rod 15 to the dottedline position shown in FIG. 3. This not only releases the forward edge of the guide member from the corrugations 35, but also releases the edge of the recess 43 from its engagement with the ribs 42 of the rod 41. The guide member may now be slidably adjusted along the rod 15- to the proper position and again permitted to drop downwardly to be engaged by the ribs 421 and the corrugations 35 at its rear and front edges respectively.

While I have shown and described some embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A dispenser for strip material having a frame, means for supporting therein a supply roll of material to be dispensed, guide means for the supply roll comprising a fiat guide member disposed adjacent one side face of the roll, a rod extending transversely of the rear portion of the frame upon which the rear end of the guide member is slidably and swingably mounted, and a resilient plate member attached to said frame at the upper end of said frame, said plate member extending downwardly therefrom, said plate member having a rearwardly extending free serrated edge to engage the front edge of said guide member, said plate member being deflected by the engagement with said guide member, said guide member being held in adjusted position by the resilient pressure of said plate member.

2. A dispenser for strip material having a frame, means for supporting therein a supply roll of material to be dispensed, glide means for the supply roll comprising a flat guide member disposed adjacent one side face of the roll, a rod extending transversely of the frame upon which one end of the guide member is slidably and swingably mounted, a resilient plate member supported in the frame having a free edge facing the opposite edge of the guide member and urged theretoward by the resilience of the plate, said edge having V-shaped serrations to receive Wilcox et a1. July 5, 1892 Gautier et a1 Jan. 27, 1948 

